About Convection Microwave Ovens

Microwave Technology

• Microwaves are very short radio waves created by a small magnetron. In a microwave oven, these waves penetrate the food and excite water and fat molecules. The vibrating molecules create heat, which cooks the food. Because cooking actually takes place just below the surface of the food and the air temperature of a microwave oven is the same as room temperature, food cannot brown or crisp.

Convection Technology

• A convection oven usually combines radiant heat with an internal fan to create an evenly heated environment. The fan circulates the heat, eliminating hot spots and cooking food more efficiently than a conventional oven. The convection oven cooks food about 25 percent faster than a conventional oven but is still slower than a microwave. However, the convection oven has the ability to bake and to roast foods that the microwave oven does not.

Combined

• The hot combination of a convection oven and a microwave oven is appealing to many cooks. This marriage can produce baked and roasted foods fast. A microwave convection oven has all of the usual features of a microwave oven with the addition of an internal circulating fan and a heating element. You can use just the microwave features, just the convection oven features or combine both technologies for a fast Thanksgiving turkey with a crispy, brown skin.

Advantages and Disadvantages

• One of the most obvious advantages to cooking with a microwave convection oven is time. The combination of two time-saving cooking techniques significantly reduces cooking time over conventional methods. Faster cooking also means energy savings as well as heat savings. Nobody enjoys cooking in an overheated kitchen. Lastly, a microwave convection oven can take the place of a conventional oven while taking up a lot less space, making it appealing to the cook with limited kitchen space. However, if you're not ready to give up your conventional oven, leave extra space for your combination oven. To incorporate the extra element and fan, the combination oven is bigger than most regular microwave ovens and a lot more expensive.